Roasted Parsnips

Roasting brings out the sweetness of root vegetables, and parsnips are no exception. The sweet earthiness of this dish is enhanced with a sprinkling of fresh sage.

You could cut carrots the same way and roast them with the parsnips for a more colorful side dish if you like. And if you don't have any fresh sage, leave it out. The roasted vegetables will still be full of flavor.

Finley Farms at the Hollywood Farmers Market has had wonderful tender parsnips this year. Most recipes tell you to remove the parsnip's tough core, but up to 1 1/4 inches in diameter they don't have one.

Traditionally parsnips are served with roast meats, but I served them the other day with sautéed mustard greens and a hearty dish of wheat berries.

The parsnips roasted in the toaster oven while I made the greens and grains on the stove. It was a simple meal for a cool winter night.

Roasted Parsnips
1/2 lb parsnips, about 7-8 small ones
6 fresh sage leaves, chopped (optional)
3/4 tbsp olive oil
sprinkling of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F. Peel parsnips and cut in half crosswise. Cut the skinny end in half and the wider end in quarters. If you have parsnips over 1 1/4 inch in diameter, cut out the tough core and discard. Then cut the parsnips crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces.

Toss parsnips with sage, oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a shallow baking pan, spreading in one layer. Roast until the parsnips are tender and lightly browned, turning occasionally, 15-20 minutes.

Serves 2-3

Love them Rutabagas!

Finley Farms has had excellent rutabagas this year - starting with small tender ones in the fall, and progressing to the large ones I remember from Canadian winters.

I was raving about their rutabagas last Sunday at the Hollywood Farmers Market, when they asked me what I did with them. Well, I said, last week I roasted them, over the holidays I mashed them, and this week I will cook them in soup.

If I sound like a rutabaga addict, it's because I am. There's nothing like these yellow turnip-like roots (called swedes by the Brits and neeps by the Scots).

I adapted this soup from Anne Bianchi's book Zuppa! Soups from the Italian Countryside. This is a lovely book on the traditional cooking of the impoverished landscape of northern Tuscany. It's a land where you eat whatever is available. I'm looking forward to trying the rice and dandelion soup next week. (Both McGrath and Finley farms have had great dandelion greens recently.)

Autumn Vegetable Soup
3/4 cup dried beans (I used pinquitos, you could use any smallish bean)
6 leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 red onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, sliced in half
1 bunch (7 oz) dinosaur kale
1 (12 oz) rutabaga
1 tsp salt
12 oz butternut squash
1 fennel bulb
pepper to taste

Soak the beans overnight (or all day) in water to cover by 2 inches. Drain. Place in a soup pot with the sage, onion and garlic. Add fresh water to cover by 2 inches, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, covered, 1 hour, adding more water if necessary.

Wash and chop the kale, stems included. Peel the rutabaga and chop in 1/2 inch pieces. Add to the beans along with the salt and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring often.

Peel the squash and cut in 1/2 inch chunks. Remove the stalks and fronds from the fennel. Halve the bulb lengthwise and cut out the tough core and base. Slice the remaining sections in half lengthwise and then slice across. Add squash and fennel to pot and cook, covered, another 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6

Spinach Salad

It's easy to get run down at this time of year and succumb to the colds and flus that are so prevalent. The keys to staying healthy are plenty of rest, good exercise, and great food.

This spinach salad is an example of great food - full of vitamin C and antioxidants to help your body stay strong, and tasty as well. The toasted sesame seeds add a nutty flavor and a little calcium to the orange juice dressing.

I made it with malabar spinach from Finley Farms. Bagged baby spinach would work too.

It's a little unusual to put pieces of orange in a salad, but try it. The textures and flavors go well together. Larry was surprised at how much he liked it.

Spinach and Orange Salad
3 tbsp sesame seeds
3 cups fresh spinach
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp chopped red onion
1 orange
1 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tsp orange juice
3 tsp water

Toast sesame seeds in a small heavy frypan until they are aromatic. Grind them in a spice grinder or small blender.

Meanwhile, wash the spinach well, dry it, and tear it into bite-size pieces.

Cut the orange in half. Juice one half for the dressing. With a small knife, slice the peel off the other half, and cut the flesh into chunks. Don't peel off all the membranes because they are full of bioflavanoids that make the other vitamins more effective.

Combine the spinach, pepper, onion and orange chunks.

Whisk together the ground sesame seeds, orange juice, rice vinegar and water. Toss with the vegetables.

Serves 2

Roasted Root Vegetables

Something magical happens to a root vegetable when you dice it, toss it in olive oil, and bake it in the oven. It gets tender and buttery - nothing like the tough gnarly thing you brought home from the market.

I like to use a variety of root vegetables in a casserole - each provides different nutrients, textures and colors. I can make a meal on this dish alone.

The ingredients vary depending on what is at the market. The recipe below is one I used last week, but vary it depending on what you like. I use roughly 1/3 potatoes and 2/3 other roots, by weight. I scrub all the roots well, and remove any hairs or nubbly parts. I always peel celeriac (celery root) and rutabagas. I sometimes peel parsnips, turnips and sweet potatoes. I never peel beets - way too messy.

Cut the vegetables in similar sizes - 3/4 inch is a good standard. Sweet potatoes cook more quickly than the others, so either cut them a little larger, or enjoy them a little soft.

What roots should you use? Start with potatoes and carrots, and add a few others. Try roots you don't think you like - you'll be amazed at the difference in flavor and texture when they're roasted.

You can use thyme or bay leaves (fresh or dried) in place of the rosemary. Sometimes I add peeled shallots or chunks of onion. Peeled garlic cloves are a good addition, as are cubes of peeled butternut squash.

This casserole is also wonderful re-warmed the next day - either as breakfast hash with a fried egg, or reheated in the oven as a side. Sometimes I make a quick root vegetable soup by puréeing them with some vegetable stock and reheating gently on the stove.

Roasted root vegetables - you'll wonder how you ever lived without them.

Roasted Root Vegetables
3/4 lb potatoes
1 celeriac (celery root)
1 sweet potato
2-3 beets
2-3 turnips
2 parsnips
1 rutabaga
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Scrub all the roots well. With a sharp knife, remove the peel and all nubbly parts from the celeriac - you'll probably remove about 1/4 inch of peel in total. Peel the rutabaga, and the sweet potatoes, parsnips and turnips if you like. Trim the ends off the beets and remove any hairs from the stem end. Chop all the vegetables in roughly 3/4 inch dice.

Toss them in a large bowl with the olive oil, a good seasoning of salt and fresh pepper, and the rosemary. Pour into a casserole, cover, and bake at 375°F for 45-60 minutes until they are tender.

Serves 4-6

Dining in Rehoboth

East Coast Trip Part 10

Our final leg of the trip was a couple of nights at Rehoboth Beach on the Delaware Shore.

Larry grew up vacationing a little further south at Fenwick Island. I like Rehoboth because it has sand dunes and a long beach, a walkable boardwalk, and great food.

There was a little Italian store, Touch of Italy Bake Shop, where if we had been self-catering I would have gone wild on Italian pastas, dried mushrooms and canned tomatoes. As it was, I restrained myself to a little cheese and a few cookies.

We walked to the Dogfish Head brewpub (motto: Off-Centered Ales for Off-Centered People). We had enjoyed reading about the passion of owner Sam Calagione in the New Yorker in 2008. I forget what we drank there, but it was really good. They also distil spirits, and we toured the distillery. We later saw them featured on the Discovery Channel making Chicha, an Incan beer that requires the grain to be chewed before brewing. Prepare to be disgusted if you watch the short clip on the Brew Masters website.

We happened to be in Rehoboth when the farmers market was open, and I enjoyed looking at the local produce, even though I had no need to buy any.

Finally, we celebrated our anniversary at my favorite Rehoboth restaurant, Planet X Café. I had an excellent mushroom risotto (the secret was the truffle oil drizzled on at the last minute) and a glass of organic wine while we enjoyed the over-the-top conversations of the people around us. (On a previous trip I had swooned over the stacked eggplant dish - I might try to recreate it next summer.)

After a last sunrise over the Atlantic, we headed for Washington Dulles and our flight home to LA. It had been a good trip.

Healthy Fast Food

I was asked the other day if I know any healthy take-out places.

Actually, I don't. I'm sure Whole Foods and similar stores have good prepared meals, but I've only eaten them cold while traveling.

When we do take-out, it's pizza (spinach on my half) or Thai from our local delivery place (spicy eggplant tofu!). It tastes good, and the next day we are swollen with salt.

If I want healthy take-out, I look to my freezer.

Last week I dug out a container of Lentils Burgundy. This is a great dish because it tastes good, freezes well, and can be turned into soup by adding more liquid. I make it with Two-Buck Chuck, not burgundy, and it is still delicious. (Lentils Chuck doesn't have quite the same ring.)

When I originally cooked it, I used the large brownish-green lentils I buy at the Hollywood Farmers Market. Lentils are a good source of protein (9 grams per half cup) and have lots of iron. They are also loaded with heart-protective nutrients, including folate and fiber. My dad would recommend serving them with a nice sausage. I've never found the need.

While the lentils were defrosting, I reheated some leftover sweet potatoes, and prepared some Tuscan kale. I washed the kale, removed the stems, and chopped the leaves coarsely. I sautéd half an onion and a clove of garlic in a little olive oil. When it was tender I added the kale and a chopped tomato, sprinkled on salt and pepper, and let it cook, covered, until tender, stirring occasionally so it didn't burn.

It was a good healthy meal in less time than it would take to call for delivery.

Lentils Burgundy
2 1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed
6 cups water or vegetable stock - I used 3 cups of each
1 bay leaf
2 onions, diced
2 tbsp oil
3 carrots, diced
2 leeks, halved, washed well, and sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh
1 1/2 cups burgundy

Combine lentils, water or stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cook until lentils are done, about 30 minutes. Don't drain.

Sauté onions and carrot in oil until tender, about 8 minutes. Scoop out and add to lentils. Sauté leeks in the same pan until soft but not browned. Add them to the lentils and cook gently until all the vegetables are tender. Then add the garlic, thyme and wine. Cook another 25-30 minutes until thick.

Serves 4-6.

Chesapeake City, MD

East Coast Trip Part 9

Upon leaving Ben and Tanya's, we stopped at Spring Run Natural Foods, an independent health food store in Kennett Square, PA, that reminded me of the ones I frequented in Montreal in the '80s - homey, decorated in wood and dark green paint, earnestly healthy, with lots of real food. There we found Hillacres Pride Lancaster County Family Tradition Garden Dill 100% raw jersey milk cheese. It made great sandwiches through the rest of our trip.

Our next stop was Chesapeake City, MD, on the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. We've stayed there before because it's close to many of Larry's aunts and uncles. We stay at the Shipwatch Inn because we love the verandah overlooking the canal, but the breakfasts are execrable. Better to starve.

We ate dinner at The Bayard House, an establishment dating to the 1780s. We sat outside watching the water traffic. Once we saw a huge ocean liner that towered above us. We enjoyed watching the river pilots help steer it under the bridge. There's a lot of traffic on this working canal between the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays.

Larry enjoyed fresh seafood, and the chef made me a fine plate of vegetarian pasta. When I'm eating in a higher-end establishment with no vegetarian options, I always ask if the chef can create a meal for me. I am rarely disappointed.

We ended the evening with a stroll along the streets of this quaint Victorian town, enjoying a slight drizzle while Larry took pictures.

The next morning I had tea on the verandah watching the mist burn off the canal.

Then on to the final stop on the tour - Rehoboth Beach.

Thai Coleslaw

East Coast Trip Part 8

From Baltimore we drove into Pennsylvania to stay with our nephew Ben and his family just outside Philadelphia.

We strolled through Longwood Gardens; bought fresh donuts and organic beet chips at the local country store; admired fields of sunflowers; and enjoyed good food, wine and company.

Tanya was training for a triathlon, and her coach had given her this recipe for Thai Coleslaw. It tastes so good, it's hard to remember that it's health food.

Once you've cleaned and stemmed the herbs, it's quick to make in the food processor. The combination of fresh mint, basil and cilantro is the key. Add some chives if you'd like an oniony zip.

This is the perfect post-holiday dish - zesty and nutritious.

Thai Coleslaw
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 cup finely shredded zucchini (1 medium)
1 cup finely shredded carrots (2-3 medium)
1 cup mint leaves
2 cups basil leaves
2 cups cilantro leaves

Dressing:
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup tamari
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece ginger, grated
1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder

Put the herbs in the food processor and mince finely. Change to the grating blade for the zucchini and carrots. Then either use the slicer blade for the cabbage, or slice it by hand. Tip the slaw into a large bowl.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Stir into the vegetables.

Serves 6

Whole Foods

East Coast Trip part 7

On our way from Maryland to Pennsylvania we stopped at the Baltimore Inner Harbor, where we found a Whole Foods, bought bread and fruit to go with our Amish cheese, and picnicked by the water.

I rarely shop at Whole Foods when I'm at home - I prefer to support the farmers market and my local independent health food store - but when travelling I gravitated towards it like the stereotypical American in Paris honing in on McDonald's.

At the Whole Foods in Arlington, VA, we picked up salads that we ate at a service center on the Pennsylvania Turnpike - way better than any of the fast food options available.

It's so easy to eat badly when on the road, but carrying healthy food and being disciplined about not eating in the car meant we ended our road trip the same size we started it - not an easy feat in Fast Food America.